Things You'll Need:
- Indoor trainer Bicycle Biking shorts (optional) Phone book or thick book
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Step 1
Look for an indoor trainer. These can be found online at bike shops or auction sites. Buying them used is a fairly safe thing to do because most indoor trainers are made from heavy metal--it takes a lot to damage them.
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Step 2
Find a mountain bike or a road bike within your budget. It could be new or used. Thrift stores usually have a wide selection of used bikes, but before you buy one, check to see if the back tire is in good shape and if the gear shifters work well. The chain also needs to be checked. Hop on the bike and see how it fits you. You can avoid injury by riding the right-sized bike.
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Step 3
Change out the back tire to a slick one if you bought a mountain bike. Mountain bikes have knobby tires and the noise that this creates on the roller on the indoor trainer is pretty loud.
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Step 4
Mount your back tire into the indoor trainer securely. There is a nut coming off the real axle of the bike that you put into the trainer. Tighten using whatever device the trainer has to secure the axle into the trainer. Adjust the tension on the roller if there is a provision for that. If there isn't, adjust your shifting to vary your ride. Avoid injury by constantly riding in high gears. Ride for a while in low gears and switch to higher gears once in a while to get a rigorous workout.
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Step 5
Use a book or a phone book to put under the front tire so you are riding parallel to the floor.
